Coach's Corner

DICK BAIRD

01/21/2010

Take'em if you can get'em; fill it up 'til it's overflowing. Talent acquisition is what recruiting is all about, and right now it looks as though the Huskies will sign their biggest, and probably best class in many many years. One thing Steve Sarkisian said from the get-go was that he would have recruiting as a priority in his program.

He immediately hired some young guns as well as a number of old vets to hit the road and start the hunt. Heck, Johnny Nansen and Demetrius Martin started recruiting before they had even come to Seattle.

The team Sarkisian inherited was obviously short of quality talent, and even though he never mentioned it, he has systematically addressed it.

In terms of numbers, Sark said they would take 30 if they could and just find a way to get them in. He wasn't kidding, because at last count he is at 30 and still counting. Now granted they are liable to lose a kid or two coming down the stretch, but don't count on it. It's more likely they could add a kid or two.

One of the basic theories of Sarkisian's system has to do with competition and improving the quality of your depth to the point where the third and fourth stringers are battling so hard to get on the field that the competition in practice itself intensifies. The better the scout team, the better the look in practice.

In order to run two scout teams on offense to prepare your defense, you need linemen. Washington had not been adding enough numbers in the lines to even have one scout team. That problem has been addressed, and it looks like the Huskies will be adding as many as six new offensive linemen.

That's exactly what they needed, and it might be the first time in 10 years that it has been done. Signing a full offensive line is impressive and a great indication of the "up-front" emphasis of Sarkisian's system.

Right now it looks like they are also going to sign five to six defensive linemen, and a couple more are still scheduled to visit. Wow! What if they also get just one of the two DL kids (Kirifi Taula and Ricky Heimuli) scheduled to yet visit? That would take the "up-front" total to 12-13 kids and considering that football is won up-front, that's a pretty good sign.

You can bet that coach Sarkisian is on a whirlwind tour right now, visiting every kid's home (only once) and especially visiting those that may still be waffling. This is a critical time in recruiting communications. The very last impression you give needs to be a lasting one so that when signing day comes you get all those signatures. If Washington gets 30 or so signatures this will be one of the biggest signing classes ever. Remembering that quantity produces quality, this signing class will also be one of the biggest thing to happen to Husky Football period - well, since beating WSU and Cal to end the season.

Right now, it's "hold on" time and it doesn't matter if UW adds any more or not, this will still be a monster class and most likely one of the top-10 in the country, if you believe in that sort of thing.